Berkhampstead

Not a bad meal last night, in fact best sausages & mash I’ve had. We slipped away at 7:10 this morning after heavy overnight rain. An autumnal chill in the air, with blue skies. After Leighton Buzzard the wind picked up and by the bottom of the Marsworth Flight was making progress through locks more difficult. Lots of rope needed! Otherwise the day was perfectly routine with little to report. Bulbourne workshops look very sad now that they are vacated by BW. The place is rusting and rubbish lies about. The huge gantry crane is idle. Sad to see another bit of history going. I don’t suppose it will be long before all lock gates are imported from the far east and another skill is lost. There was quite a bit of traffic about between 10:00 and 13:00, but then it died away and we saw very little else moving either up Marsworth or down to Berkhampstead. We have moored up by Canal Fields and purchased a small load of smokeless fuel from Ivor & Mel Batchelor moored a couple of boats away. Nights are getting colder now!